A controversial proposal to turn a playground area into a car park is set to go ahead as developers have been given the thumbs-up by councillors.

Hillside Park in Bodmin is likely to become a new parking area months after Bodmin Jail pleaded for it as part of a £30million makeover and investment in the town.

Since the planning application to create a 63-bed hotel was submitted to Cornwall Council earlier this year, the car park proposal has been caught in a heated debate as residents feared that they would lose a ‘very valued’ public space.

It was at first suggested that between 100 and 300 car parking spaces would be created but the proposal was eventually revised by Bodmin Jail to take account of residents’ concerns.

The planned coach parking, heavily criticised by several residents, has been removed from the original proposal and only one turning circle has been retained. New elements included provision of a five-a-side football pitch, outdoor gym equipment and picnic benches.

Now, Bodmin Town Council has announced it was planning to offer the 1.731 hectare Hillside Park on a 24-year lease.

This is the car park plan Bodmin Town Council has shared on their website

It would keep the ownership of the land, but has agreed for it to be turned into a pay and display car park.

"It is intended to grant a lease to Webb Ellis Estates Limited in order that the open space land can be used as a public pay and display car park (151 permanent spaces and 139 overflow spaces) to underpin the significant economic investment at Bodmin Jail and as part of the regeneration of the area for the benefit of the town," the public notice read.

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"Public access will still be available to the open space land at times when the overflow parking is not in use."

Earlier this year a spokesperson for the jail said that the uncertainty over the car park was the only obstacle to the multi-million investment into the Bodmin attraction.

The whole project to convert part of the jail site into a state-of-the-art hotel and teaching facility was approved in June by Cornwall Council planners. It is set to be finished by 2019.

Anyone who wishes to comment on the proposal is asked to contact the town clerk, Bodmin Town Council, Shire House, Mount Folly Square, Bodmin, PL31 2DQ in writing or via e-mail to policy@bodmin.gov.uk.

The reasons for any objection should be stated and the deadline is Monday, September 18, 2017 at 9am.